Chapter 10, Response Paper. (Introduction to Criminology)

Chapter 10, Response Paper (Introduction to Criminology) Name: Institution: Course: Instructor: Date: Chapter 10, Response Paper (Introduction to Criminology) Summary of the reading This chapter of the article deals with the theory and history of punishment. Dealing with offenders is an area that has evolved over the years, and the evolution is a product of several factors such as philosophical theories, policies and regulations. Serious confusion arises when dealing with convicted offenders. The options for convicted offenders include imprisonment, parole, probation and community correction systems. Every option depends on the magnitude of the offence and reform evaluation, among other factors. However, it is unclear whether these correction options yield the desired results: punishing the offender and correcting the offender. The confusion as to whether the correction options are meant to hurt or assist the offenders lies with the American Penal System. Many people conflict with the reasons or rationale for punishing serious offenders. Some people cite hurting or making the offenders pay for their sins the hard way, while others cite that punishment should serve the purpose of assisting the offenders to be better people. Other people opine that combining the two serves the purpose well. Whichever type of punishment is administered to offenders depends on the goals of the punishment as dictated by the penal code and penal policies. Bentham and Baccaria also discuss the theory of deterrence. The theory asserts that awareness of the consequences of an offence deters or stops offenders from committing an offence. Deterrence is divided into two: specific and general deterrence. Specific deterrence helps prevent more offences from an individual, while general deterrence prevents potential offenders from engaging in offences. The goals for punishing the offenders include deterrence, incapacitation, rehabilitation, and retributivism. All the stated punishment goals explain why offenders get incarcerated, explained by the philosophies of punishment. Every rationale for punishment determines the ...